Real
by Butterfly Girl 1331
Summary: Taiga has been teased non-stop for years now because she refuses to be like the crowd. Now, a talent show is being held at her school...by the 3 girls that give her all the trouble. Can she and her band rise to the top, despite the obstacles?


Real  
By Butterfly Girl My friend Dani sent me this song as a theme for Taiga (as she said that she had a song that fit Taiga), and I couldn't help making a story out of it.  
It's honestly one of the greatest songs I've heard. And before someone asks this, Bass's name is pronounced like BASE, not Bass as in the fish. Bass as in the musical term. I own none of the original  
Sailor Moon characters (i.e: Sailor Moon), only the Little Senshi. Ask Mason about the origins of Bass, Zero, and X, I think he borrowed them from  
Capcom or something. He owns Kojiro and Max. Many many MANY thanks to Mason for his help on this one, I owe ya BIG, dude! All songs in here are  
© to Superchick, not me, Superchick. I know this fic is long, but bear with it. It really does have a point and  
is kinda cute in a sense. Just give it a chance; don't judge it by its size (unless you think quanity means quality, then by all means do cuz that  
probably means you'll read it!).  
  
"Well LOOK-IE there girls, it's the Goody-Goody and her posse!" Okkuu sneered, her group of popular girls behind her.  
Batafurai's fist tightened at her side, but Taiga's hand moved to rest on her friend's tense arm. "Don't bother it's not worth it."  
The girls walked on, leaving the sneering female teens behind.  
"WHAT? Too good to stand up for yourself???" Tsuuzoku yelled, Okkuu clapping her on the back. Ninki crossed her arms across her chest, laughing along with her friends.  
The Little Senshi were "Unpopular" at their school, mainly because they acted different than the rest. Taiga, Batafurai, and Onbin got the worst of the teasing, Taiga because of her strong morals and the last two for their size. Riki sometimes got it because she was the second person in their grade to get married, the first girl, and Annai would because she kept to only her group at all times. Riki just handled the teasing in her traditional style—beat their heads in. But the last four just ignored it. Oddly, the other Little Senshi had no problems fitting in—especially Tarento and Hatsu.  
The Little Senshi never gave away their secret about being Little Senshi, or being Princesses. They knew that if they DID tell, they'd never hear the end of it. When people had heard about Batafurai's heritage, it was NOT a pretty sight.  
Within five minutes, Batafurai had completely forgotten about the "populars" and was begging Taiga and Onbin for advice.  
"You two HAVE to know what I can get Tarento for his birthday!" Batafurai cried as she sat on the grass in front of the bench that Taiga occupied. Onbin was sitting a foot from Batafurai, also on the grass.  
"Bata-chan, you know I'm more clueless with this 'boyfriend birthday gift' stuff than you are. I don't even know Max's b-day for crying out loud!"  
  
"I was actually asking Taiga cuz I knew you wouldn't want to attempt that question..."  
Taiga was writing in a spiral notebook, her tiny handwriting filling the lined pages. She was completely unaware of what her friends were talking about.  
"Tai-chan...Tai-chan...Earth to Urawa Taiga come in...URAWA TAIGA DO NOT IGNORE ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"  
"AUGH!" Taiga screamed, sitting up straight and sending her mechanical pencil on a crash course for Onbin's head. It rebounded just above her right ear to finally rest safely on the grass.  
Onbin blinked twice as she picked up the pencil. "Tai-chan...please refrain from sending your pencil from trying to land on the SIDE OF MY HEAD!"  
Taiga took it back. "Like I could HELP that one, Bata-chan here's insane with her voice today!"  
"Hey that's..."  
"Just TODAY?" Onbin asked, she and Taiga laughing their heads off.  
Batafurai crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. "Well I don't find it that funny!"  
Taiga caught her breath, clutching her sides. "I'm sorry Bata-chan, but you know that was WAY too good of an opportunity to pass up!"  
"Yeah yeah Taiga, SURE!"  
"...Please don't be mad at me I was just kidding around Batafurai!"  
"Kidding AROUND?"  
"Yeah..."  
"That's what I'm doing..."  
Taiga sat there for a seconds, then burst out laughing and fake- slapped Batafurai.  
"Yeyah! I am still the QUEEN!" Batafurai cheered.  
Taiga rolled her eyes. "Quoting you, that is SO not cool!"  
"Do we have to talk about being cool AGAIN?" Tarento, Batafurai's husband, asked as he sat down next to Batafurai.  
Taiga zoned out again, writing in her notebook. She never noticed Otome sit next to her.  
Finally the bell rang. As they walked to the school, Otome asked, "Tai-chan...what are you writing?" Both stopped in front of the bulletin board, but only Taiga was reading the posters.  
She sighed. "I'm working on...a song of sorts...maybe our little band could play it sometime..."  
Otome nodded. "Yeah, we probably could. But you may wanna run that past Tonbo it's her band anyways."  
Screeching, Taiga pulled a paper off of the bulletin board. "This is it! We have a gig of sorts!"  
"Wha? WHERE?" Otome asked. Taiga handed her the paper.  
  
TALENT SHOW! COME ALL THAT THINK YOU HAVE TALENT AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR TALENT SHOW ON  
FEBRUARY 28th.  
  
Prizes given out:  
1st-$50  
2nd-$35  
3rd-$25  
  
ONLY 20 ENTRIES ACCEPTED  
  
HOSTED BY OSHI NINKI, MIKA OKKUU, AND BAIYOU TSUUZOKI  
SUPERVISED BY MRS. RISHI  
  
AUDITIONS HELD NEXT FRIDAY AT 4 PM IN THE GYM!  
  
Otome fought the urge to laugh out loud. "Taiga, they HATE us. How will they let us in?"  
Taiga smiled. "Mrs. Rishi is the teacher that helped us ALL out when we transferred here, remember?"  
Mrs. Rishi was a Literature teacher at their school. When she had met the Little Senshi, she knew there was something special about them. The discovery of their heritages proved it. She had made it her special mission to make sure these teens could have as normal a life as possible, at least at school. She took extra measures to keep their heritages and powers secret, but also told them, "If you ever feel that you have to tell your secret, don't hold back because of little old me. It's your secret, not mine. I'm just trying to help you guys with what you want to do." She also fought to have Taiga, Batafurai, and Tarento put into the advanced classes when the school refused.  
Otome smiled. "That is DEFINITELY to our advantage..."  
"Listen Otome, you have class with Tonbo and Miya. Tell them that we need to have a band meeting, with Onbin there, after school. I'll tell Onbin later, as you and I have Home Ec. with her."  
Otome nodded, then they ran to their classes.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Tonbo sat on a chair in the soundproof basement of her home, her guitar in her lap. Miyabita was tuning her bass guitar.  
"Where the heck are they?" Tonbo finally asked, looking ticked.  
"I don't know relax Tonbo."  
"I will when Otome and Taiga tell us what this is all about!"  
"Maybe they want to figure out if Onbin is in the band or not."  
"She is and you know that."  
"Maybe they want us to finally figure out a name for the band."  
"THAT will take years..."  
"Maybe..."  
"Please stop playing the 'Maybe' game Miya it's getting really old."  
"Why don't we just work on the music for that song we were writing?"  
"Sounds good to me."  
About 300 beats and a hundred guitar riffs later, Taiga, Otome, and Onbin showed up.  
Taiga clapped, a smile wide on her face. "You two never cease to amaze me with your abilities..."  
A smile that would have put a sunbeam to shame erupted across Miya's face. "About TIME I outdid my brother in music!"  
Miya had an older brother named Shuzika. He was, to some extent, a musical prodigy. According to Onbin's mother, Gifuto Michiru, and his mother, Meioh Setsuna, "You put him at a piano and he'd have a composition created in around half an hour." Although he knew he was good, he wasn't conceited in the least. He was always willing to help his sister and her band, along with Kojiro's band Generator and Zero's band Forgotten Rockers.  
"Miya, you do NOT need to try to outdo Shuzika ALL of the time..." Onbin said sarcastically.  
"Enough idle chatter. Taiga, explain why we're here!" Tonbo yelled.  
Taiga handed Tonbo the paper she had taken earlier. "This is why. I know we can get into this talent show, we're good enough and we know it!"  
Miya read over Miya's shoulder, her eyes growing wider by the second. "Okkuu and Co. are running it, how are we gonna get past them?"  
A burst of laughter was heard. All turned to Tonbo.  
"Mrs. Rishi's supervising it! Meaning all performers have to be approved by her! We're a sure-win!"  
"So, you're suggesting we just go to Mrs. Rishi, try out for her, sneak into the show, and WIN?" Onbin asked, looking appalled.  
"Uh...yeah..."  
Onbin was silent for a few seconds. "I...LOVE THE WAY YOU THINK TONBO!"  
  
"Okay, but first...we DO need a name here Tonbo..." Miya said.  
"Let's get the song first and see if we're inspired..." Tonbo said.  
"Actually...I have a name that may work..." Otome said. She held out a paper that had one phrase on it:  
  
Real World Grls  
  
"OH GOSH DARN ITI forgot the letter I!"  
  
Miya stopped her from correcting it. "Nono, it's sweet man! It's like our TRADEMARK!"  
Taiga nodded. "And now I have a title for the song I wrote!"  
"So THAT'S what you've been doing!" Onbin exclaimed.  
"Yeyah. I'm writing the lyrics to a song...now if we can put the music to it..."  
"Onbin can do drums to it, I'll take lead guitar, Otome can do bass, Miya can take the other lead guitar we'll just not add in any keyboard unless you feel comfortable singing lead and playing keyboard any questions?" Tonbo asked.  
Taiga blinked a few times. "Uh...no that about covered it all..."  
  
"I've got a few." Otome said. "How are we gonna put the music to this? When did Miya learn keyboard? Is Onbin comfortable playing drums in a concert so early on?"  
"We've got some ideas, Taiga will tell us if she likes it cuz it's her song."  
"I asked Shuzi to teach me."  
"Yes I'm comfortable!"  
Otome nodded. "I'll return to being silent now that my quest has been fulfilled."  
Taiga shook her head. "No, you talk like the rest of us or Tonbo here will hurt you." Tonbo nodded in agreement, hazel eyes glowing in a frightening way.  
Otome raised an eyebrow. "Ton-chan, do you REALLY want your drum sticks to become new earrings?"  
Tonbo laughed. "I have taught you well, young grasshopper!"  
All groaned.  
Taiga laughed. "Actually, I had something like this in mind." She walked over to the keyboard, carefully playing out the melody for the chorus.  
Tonbo nodded her head in time with the melody. She sat down at the drums and started playing a rhythm she felt fit the song well.  
"We can DEFINITELY have this ready by then..." Miya said, a smile lighting her face once more.  
Onbin watched Tonbo play out the rhythm. Eventually, Tonbo handed her the sticks and motioned for her to try. Onbin sat on the stool, playing what Tonbo did to near perfection. The other 3 girls were dumbfounded.  
"Onbin-chan, you need to tell others of your hidden talents more often..." Otome said with a laugh.  
The small brunette merely shrugged her shoulders. "It's not that hard at all! Now how YOU play the guitar is beyond my comprehension."  
Again her fellow band members were dumbfounded.  
"Onbin, you never cease to amaze us with how far you've come in the past few weeks..." Taiga said, smiling.  
"Sure are glad to see the real me, huh?"  
"YA BETTER BELIEVE IT GIFUTO!"  
  
Onbin groaned. "Kill the formalities and call me Onbin like NORMAL PEOPLE! ...that is if it's POSSIBLE for you 4 to pretend to be normal!"  
Tonbo caught the little brunette in a headlock, ruffling her long hair. "Girl, I think the bleach-like solution they used to put those blonde streaks in your hair leaked into your brain!"  
"If you leave my hair alone we can talk talent show business ya know!" Onbin cried out, laughing all the way.  
"First order of business, KEEP THIS SECRECT. We want to make sure the Personal Pirates don't find out until it's too late," Miya said knowingly.  
"So that means we can't tell ANYONE else! Not even the Little Senshi."  
"...and our boyfriends..." Otome muttered sadly. Taiga could see clearly that Otome DIDN'T want to keep ANYTHING from Zero.  
"Only one of us that WON'T have a problem with that is Tonbo..." Taiga said.  
Miya started giggling. Tonbo quickly elbowed her, which made poor Miya laugh harder yet.  
"Okay, we see you know who Tonbo likes, so spill Miyabita," Onbin commanded.  
Tonbo just threw up her hands, her face getting redder than the streaks in her black hair.  
"D...Dd...DYNAMO!" Miya croaked out. The other girls cheered and laughed.  
"Hey, relax, ya picked a winner!" Miya said soothingly.  
"HE'S PRACTICALLY THE CLONE OF KOJIRO SO IT'S WRONG PEOPLE!"  
"No, he's only like Kojiro in the sense that he was originally made from a DNA sample of him. Now they're COMPLETELY different people," Taiga said knowingly.  
"So you don't hafta feel like your stealing Riki's husband in a sense."  
"I know, I know, I'll tell him when I'm ready can we work on the songs now?"  
An hour later, muffled cheers were heard from the basement by a black- haired 17-year-old. Meioh Shuzika shook his head. ^My sis and her band'll NEVER grow up...^ He walked down the stairs to the basement, as he was Miya's ride home and he was sent to pick her up.  
@----3—3--------------------  
After showering and changing into her favorite pajamas, Taiga crawled into the bottom bunk of her bed. Taking out her notebook and favorite mechanical pencil, she wrote:  
  
The "Band" finally added Onbin permanently to our group, which we all know will be QUITE an advantage in the future. She's proved to really have a natural gift at the drums, which'll free Tonbo up for lead guitar and Otome up for bass if she's needed on it. And I'll still be doing what I always do in the band—alternating between just singing lead and playing keyboard while singing lead or backup, depending on the song. We'll probably even have a gig two weeks from now!  
The problem is we agreed to not tell ANYONE outside of the band about it, minus Shuzika and Mai. Those two are only finding out b/c Shuzika walked in on our rehearsal (like the dork he is), and Mai's teaching Onbin drums. So that means that I can't tell Bass what I'm up to when I have to turn down dates (which I WILL have to do, I know it). The poor guy's gonna think I'm mad at him, and I could NEVER be mad at him. He's the perfect guy, I swear it! So what if he's like 20 (wait...only makes him 4 years my senior...never mind...)? I love him, he loves me, and we're happy together.  
So I have this for later, I'm writing my practice schedule w/ the Real World Grls (our name, we finally have a NAME now lol)  
Monday-Friday 4-6  
Saturday 10-12 (I won the battle about this one)  
Better quit rambling, the phone's ringing.  
Taiga  
  
"TAIGA! FOR YOU!" Urawa Ami, Taiga's mother, yelled up the stairs.  
Taiga picked up the phone. "Hey."  
"Hey Tai-chan," a low male voice said.  
Taiga smiled. "Hey Bass."  
Bass was Taiga's boyfriend, and had been for months. They had met during the Neo-Dreamers War, when Proto Man had wounded him and she had been knocked out, and Batafurai and Kojiro were preoccupied with helping Riki. Her dog, Rachel, had took the first aid pack out of Taiga's backpack and carried it to Riki so she could help Bass. Both had fallen for each other nearly at first sight, but didn't admit it until they were trapped on Earth (3) during the fight with Enerjak. He had blonde hair to his shoulders and red eyes with a blue stripe from the top to the bottom of the iris. He was 6'1", a reploid along with Zero and X, and over 150 years old, though he didn't look a day over 25.  
"What have you been up to?"  
Taiga's smile disappeared. ^Darn promise!^ "Nothin' much, you?"  
"Nah, just trying to get ready to record that demo I told you about.  
Bass was one of the members of Forgotten Rockers. Zero played lead guitar and provided lead vocals, Bass played bass guitar and provided the backup vocals, Max was the sound mixer, X played the keyboard, and Dynamo played the drums. They had become somewhat famous in Crystal Tokyo.  
"Sweetness! I know it'll go great!" Taiga exclaimed.  
"So, how's school going?"  
"Good...BORING and all but it's all good."  
"That tone of voice tell me something is wrong dear."  
Taiga rolled over on her back and sighed. "You know me too well...it's...just...trouble with the 'Populars' again..."  
"When will they stop? If I was going to school there, you know I'd stick up for you."  
"I know you would, but it'll probably never stop...the girls and I are...different...from our peers. That makes us PERFECT targets for teasing."  
A few minutes later, Bass said, "Well, I don't want to do this, but if I'm going to do that demo in the morning, I need to get some sleep."  
"Yeah, I'd better study civics if I want to PASS that class...I love you Bass-kun..."  
"Love you too, Tai-chan. Good night."  
"Night..." she said as she hung up. Rolling back over on her stomach, she sighed. ^Keeping this from him will NOT be easy...^  
@----3—3--------------------  
Walking home from school the next day, angry over the paper she had to do that night, she saw Bass. ^...this isn't gonna be fun...^  
"Hey Taiga!" Bass called out, running up to her.  
Taiga smiled and shifted her backpack to the other shoulder. "Hey Bass!"  
"Hey, you want to go on a double date with me, Zero, and Otome tonight?"  
^DARN IT ALL!^ "I...can't...I'd love too, honestly, but I can't."  
"Aw...why not Tai-chan?" Bass asked, looking disappointed.  
^Nickname...man this is getting harder by the second...^ "I have things I have to do, schoolwork and stuff..."  
"Taiga, even YOU skipped out on schoolwork to go on a date with me before!"  
Taiga sighed. "I've got a paper to do this time, and I have to help out Onbin and the girls in a few as well...I'm really sorry Bass." ^MIYA WILL GET IT FOR THIS...IF IT WEREN'T FOR PRACTICE AND THE PROMISE I'D BE ABLE TO GO OUT WITH HIM!^  
"That's okay, I guess I'll you see you later." Bass kissed her, then walked off.  
Taiga turned and ran the rest of her way to her house. After dumping off her school stuff, she threw her notes for the songs they were playing into her book bag, grabbed her bike, and sped off to Tonbo's house.  
@----3—3--------------------  
As she walked to Tonbo's house, she saw X ride up to her. "Miya- chan, wait up!"  
Miya, who was running at full speed, skidded to a stop.  
Taking of his headphones, X asked, "Where are you off to?"  
"Ton-chan's, why?"  
"I thought we could go get some ice cream this afternoon. I made sure they had your favorite flavor in."  
^Darn...she hasta turn him down like Otome and I did...^  
Miya smiled. "That'd be great..." Looking at her watch, she added. "Could we go at 6? I'm kinda busy until then..."  
^WHAT? SHE HAS THAT PAPER TOO! NO WAY SHE CAN SKIP IT AND GET AWAY WITH THIS! MULEIKA AND SETSUNA WOULD KILL HER!^  
"Six is fine, Miya-chan." He kissed her. "See ya!" He put on his headphones and rode off.  
Taiga stormed over to Miya, who was smiling the way only a girl who had been kissed by her love could. "Don't YOU have a pap..."  
"Your class was the only one that got the paper, remember the dudes w/ the..."  
"GREAT! So you and Tonbo are free tonight while the rest of us aren't!!"  
"Not JUST us too...Hatsu, Annai, and Tarento are free as well!" With that, she ran for her life, Taiga on her heels.  
"MIYA THAT'S NOT FAIR I HAD TO TURN DOWN A DATE WITH BASS FOR THAT PAPER AND THE YOU KNOW WHAT! MIYA? MIYA GET BACK HERE TONBO CAN'T SAVE YOU NOW!"  
In their mad dash, they passed a distracted Onbin muttering something about no good educators lacking love lives.  
@----3—3--------------------  
X entered the house he shared with Zero, Bass, and Max, and saw Max laying on the couch. "Hey Max, what's up?"  
"Onbin-chan can't hang out tonight. I'm gonna be home sad..." he replied, looking and sounding upset.  
Zero came walking down the stairs. "Same here, Max."  
Bass, who was sitting in the recliner, put down his book. "And you guys are not alone. Did Miya blow you off, too, X?  
Sweatdropping, X said, "Uh..."  
"THAT'S NOT FAIR X!" his housemates screamed.  
"X..."  
"Zero...remember your blood pressure..." X reminded.  
He simply dived from the stairs and tackled X. "AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"  
"Zero, get off of me!"  
"TOO LATE!" His cell phone began ringing. He went back to normal for a minute and answered it. "Hello?"  
"DON'T KILL X IT'S A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSE MIYA'S AN IDIOT!" Otome screamed, so loud everyone in the room heard it.  
"HEY! I DETEST THAT! I'TS NOT MY FAULT MY CLASS CAN BEHAVE!" was heard in the background from Miya.  
Zero looked surprised. "Eh...I just now tackled X and raised my blood pressure again..." He sweatdropped.  
"YOU BLEW THE ROOF OFF BAKA!" Bass and Max screamed.  
Otome laughed. "What happened was half of our class was misbehaving and a paper was assigned for tomorrow as punishment. Taiga, Onbin, and I were in the library helping out at that time and came in late. No told us EARLIER that it was a punishment assignment, so we assumed that our entire grade had been assigned it...Miya and Tonbo are in the other class that CLAIM to behave."  
"Thanks, Ome-chan," Zero said.  
"Can you get off me now?"  
"No problem...listen, if I finish the stupid paper with time to spare, I'll call you."  
"TELL BASS I SAID THE SAME!"  
Zero yelled, "Taiga said she'd call you if she had time!"  
"Gotcha!" Bass replied.  
"Well, I gotta go, X is giving me the death glare."  
"More like the evil eye!"  
"Good luck with the assignment, Ome-chan. Love you."  
"Love you too, Zero...I'm sorry about all of this...bye"  
"Bye." Zero hung up and got off of X.  
"About time!"  
@----3—3--------------------  
"FINALLY!" Taiga screamed, her paper finally printed and done. Looking at the clock, she sighed. ^8:30...took me 2 hours!^ She then picked up her phone and called Bass.  
"ONBIN-CHAN?" was the greeting she got from the other line.  
"No...not the last time I checked at least...Max is Bass there?"  
"Here he is..." He handed the phone to Bass.  
"Hello?  
"Hey, I finished!"  
"That's good, Tai-chan."  
"Want me to come over?"  
"Yeah, that'd be great. Are Otome and Onbin done with their papers? Max has been going nuts for over an hour, Zero is STILL in the tub, ain't seen him in 45 minutes, and I haven't seen X in 2 hours."  
"Onbin's probably gonna be another half hour, she's not quick at typing...didn't need to know that about Zero honestly, but Otome'll be done any minute now...X is with Miya..."  
"I knew X was with Miya, but her curfew was 2 hours ago, wasn't it? He knows her ENTIRE schedule, and he doesn't even go to her school!"  
"Her curfew's 11, same as mine and the rest of us Little Senshi. It's only 8:40...that's kinda weird yet cute and sweet at the same time..."  
"You can tell I've been going nuts also, ne?  
"Hai...I'll be over in a few, just want to check on Onbin quick.  
"Okay, I'll see you in a little but. Love you, Tai-chan."  
"Love you, Bass." She hung up, then called Onbin.  
"I'M DONE I'M DONE AND BEFORE TAIGA EVEN...dear God I said that into the phone...Hello?"  
^Okay...not sure who corrupted who in that relationship but man oh MAN are they too alike for words under stress...^ "I beat you by 10 minutes by the way...Onbin, you'd better call Max..."  
"I'm gonna head over there when I get off the phone, so bye." The dial tone followed.  
Taiga just sat there for a few seconds, the only movement being her blinking. ^She's stressed alright...stupid papers, look what they do to us students!^ She hung up, grabbed her coat, and left for Bass's house.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Bass knocked on the bathroom door. "Zero, you've been in there almost an HOUR! You only take 20 minutes for a bath, and I've gotta go!"  
The only reply he got was Zero singing, "Hit me baby, one more time!"  
He just stared wide-eyed at the locked door. "Never mind..." In an act of desperation, he took off running to the nearest gas station...three blocks away.  
Taiga saw him running as she walked to the house he shared with his friends. ^What in the world is he up to?^ "HEY WAIT UP FOR ME!"  
"YA BETTER NOT FOLLOW ME!" he yelled, running into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.  
Taiga stopped dead in her tracks, embarrassed beyond reason. "Uh...yeah..."  
Minutes later, he came out of the bathroom. "Sorry ya had to hear that."  
With a still beet red face, she answered, "It's okay." Looking up, she saw that he was blushing, too.  
"Eh...let's get out of here before I mortify myself more..."  
"And before I do the same..." she replied, smiling.  
Putting an arm around her, he asked, "So, what would you like to do?"  
She put an arm around him as well. "Anything you want to."  
"How about we just take a walk? It's a nice time of day."  
"Sounds great to me."  
After they had walked a while, Bass nervously asked, "Um, Taiga...could...I tell you something?"  
"Of course, Bass."  
"I...I wanted to ask you to marry me, and I've been trying to, honestly, but...I...I...I just don't feel like I'm ready to ask you yet." He looked down as soon as he finished.  
Taiga looked at him quickly. "...y...You want to marry me???" ^WHOA! Wasn't expecting THAT!^ "Bass, it's okay..."  
"Thanks. But don't get the idea that I'm not gonna ask, because I will. It's just gonna take a little time for me to be ready. It's the first time I've ever been in a relationship, and I'm afraid of messing it up."  
"It's the same here; I'm afraid of messing up, too. Just...don't feel like there's a rush. I'll wait for you forever!"  
"Thank you, that means a lot to me."  
"No prob, and it means a lot to me that you want to marry me."  
He turned to look into her eyes. "Taiga, I wouldn't have anyone else but you." With that, he kissed her, which Taiga gladly returned.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Twenty minutes, a phone call, and a clean outfit later, Zero greeted Otome at the door. "Hey, Ome-chan!" he said, hugging her.  
She hugged him back. "Hey, Zero."  
"So, what would you like to do?"  
"I NEVER have an answer to that one and you know it," she teased with a smile.  
"Ome-chan, do I have to pin you in the chair again?"  
"If you really want to..."  
"I only use THAT as a last resort and you know it, Ome-chan." With that said, he lugged her over his shoulder. "I CAN hold ya like this for a while..."  
Laughing, she said, "ZERO! What am I? A sack of potatoes?"  
"Well, you said you didn't know what to do, so I'm lugging you around!" he teased.  
"You know what I meant!!!  
  
"I'm tempted for the chair again..."  
"Will you settle for a kiss?"  
"Maybe..." he said, walking to the den.  
"...Zero...if you're going to carry me, can it NOT be over your shoulder? The blood's rushing to my head..."  
He carefully settled her in his arms. "That better, Ome-chan?" he asked, kissing her.  
"MUCH better," she said, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him.  
When he got to the den, he sat her on the love seat. "What would you like to do now?  
"...I still dunno..."  
Zero turned on the stereo. "How about we just listen to music?"  
"Works for me."  
He sat down next to her, sliding an arm around her. "I love you."  
"I love you," she replied, putting an arm around him. They then kissed.  
@----3—3--------------------  
"AAUUGGHH!!" Tonbo screamed, throwing her hands into the air. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?" Real World Grls were practicing their song, Real, for the talent show, and things weren't exactly going well.  
"Do NOT SCREAM AT ME TONBO I'M NOT A CHILD!" Onbin screamed back, storming over to her black-haired band leader.  
"Guys...guys...GUYS!" Taiga screamed, quieting the two oldest band members. "I DON'T CARE WHO'S RIGHT OR WHO'S WRONG IN THE ARGUMENT! LET'S JUST WORK TO GETTING THIS RIGHT THE AUDITION IS TOMORROW AT 6!"  
"NO FREAKIN' DUH!" the other four screamed. Taiga just threw her hands up.  
Otome finally jumped in, solving the problem and getting them back to their respective instruments. "Listen, why don't we just run over that one we did together all those months ago."  
"Which one's that?" Miya asked, picking up her bass guitar.  
"Na Na...ya know, the one Onbin played with us to try out! The one I KNOW we can all play!"  
"How is THAT going to help us on Real?" Onbin asked sarcastically, picking up her drum sticks and sitting on the stool behind the drum set.  
Taiga caught on. "By boosting our moral. You see, we're all frustrated, as Tonbo easily demonstrated, because we're having trouble with our new song. So why don't we play our old one as a warm up?"  
"I'm about ready to try anything at this point in time..." Tonbo said. "Maybe if we work in more hours practicing..." Four groans followed.  
"Ah, come on!"  
"Max'll spaz for sure!"  
"I'm already cutting dates left and right, just wait until Zero gets upset!"  
"I DO want to spend time with Bass, ya know!"  
Tonbo shook her head. "I sympathize, I truly do, but if we want to win, we need to practice up!"  
Miya glared her trademark glare at her. "You can't sympathize cuz you don't have a boyfriend and therefore do NOT understand our predicament, Ton-chan."  
"SHUT UP!"  
"Sorry, but we're exhausted, girl!" Otome said. "We are DYING to be with our guys, and this is keeping us back. PLUS we have to LIE to them to be here half the time, because we agreed to keep it secret!"  
"Guys, that wasn't MY idea!"  
"SORRY! Do you think I honestly thought it involved lying to X?"  
Taiga sighed, taking her place at the keyboard. "Let's just go on and play that song now..." The other girls nodded, Onbin leading in on the drums.  
  
((AN-Key for all songs: *-Taiga  
  
~-Otome  
  
_ -Miya  
  
^-Tonbo  
  
&-Onbin  
  
%-All))  
  
*You're building a case against me  
  
Prosecutor, judge, and jury.  
  
We've had this conversation in your head  
  
*~Because I wasn't there you made up what I said Or what I would've said, you know me so well You've heard how I am and how I'm going to Heaven knows We've never had this conversation Or should I be calling it a condemnation 'cuz you're not listening to me  
  
%So, na na na na na That's all I'm gonna say 'cause Na na na na na Made up your mind anyways Na na na na na There's nothing I can do so Na na na na na Couldn't we be friends if not for you. (music break)  
  
_^I feel like a teacher from Charlie Brown All you hear is that "wah wah wah" sound Maybe I'm a Pokemon, Pikachu That's what comes out when I'm talking to you You're a crusader, you've made me your flight Your superhero name is Mr. Right Instead of trying to understand You tell all your friends how wrong I am And you're not listening to me  
  
%So, na na na na na That's all I'm gonna say 'cause Na na na na na You've made up your mind anyways Na na na na na There's nothing I can do so Na na na na na Couldn't we be friends if not for you.  
  
~*Can't we be friends  
  
Why does it end Before a word is even heard ~*(_^ doing random parts)I look at you, your attitude Why can't you see that it's not me &Oops, I did it again, I see The person I'm talking about is me Assuming you're the enemy in the crosshairs of my verbal uzi &_No matter who wins, we both lose No matter who starts, we both choose &To keep it going on and on and on and on and on But let's start listening and see...  
  
%La la la la la (guitar solo) La lala la la Sorry that it got this way La la la la la Next time I won't let it stew La la la la la Couldn't we start over, me and you.  
  
After they finished, Tonbo nodded. "I give you guys credit, that idea truly worked..."  
"NOW can we finish?" Onbin asked.  
"...You're acting like I'm running close to keeping you from a date with Max, girl..."  
"You are, now let's finish so I can head off!!"  
"Only if you guys agree to practice as much as we absolutely need all next week."  
"...I'm in."  
"Yeah..."  
"Okay..."  
"You SO owe me Ton-chan..." Miya grumbled.  
"Then let's finish! Onbin-chan has a date with her guy!"  
"Yes she does, so let's get done NOW!" Onbin said, starting up Real.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Taiga looked up from her keyboard to Mrs. Rishi, relieved that the girls and she had done so well.  
"So...?" Tonbo asked carefully.  
Mrs. Rishi walked up to them. "You guys are great! Of course you can be in the show!" The five girls cheered, hugging, high-fiving, and bootie-bumping in joy. "Because you wish to stay secrect, you're going to have to practice on your own..."  
"No prob there, we've got a schedule all worked out!" Miya said.  
"Well then, I'll see you guys in two weeks!" Mrs. Rishi said, walking out of the auditorium.  
The girls turned to each other and cheered.  
"THANK YOU TAIGA!" Otome yelled.  
"What did I..."  
"You came up with the song! You saw the flyer! You knew that we could talk to Mrs. Rishi! Need I go on before it sinks in?" Miya asked.  
"Iie I get it but that doesn't mean I agree, it was a joint effort. Besides, Real World Grls is Tonbo's band!"  
Tonbo nodded. "Hai, it's my band, but who cares??? You're the lead singer! And you got us here!"  
"But..."  
"Taiga, no humility with this one. I know it's not your nature, but go with us here girl!" Onbin said, putting a hand on the taller girl's shoulder. "You seriously are the one that got us this far. According to Tonbo and Miya, you got the band up on its feet! And you were the one that fought the hardest for me to be a part of this band, which I can't thank you enough for. Face it Taiga, you got us here, and you can't deny it."  
"Okay okay fine! You guys win. And...thanks..."  
"No prob, Taiga. We're your friends; we've always got your back!" Otome said, putting an arm around Taiga.  
But, behind closed doors, 3 girls had heard everything. Three very angry popular girls. And they were putting together a plan to teach them a lesson for taking a stand.  
@----3—3--------------------  
I can't believe all that has happened in the past few weeks! Things have changed for the better (mostly), and all so fast!  
First off, a dream nearly came true. Bass nearly asked me to marry him! Well...he promised that he would...he's not ready, and I understand. Truth is, I doubt I'm ready to GET married right now as it is...personally, I'd prefer to finish high school first. Not that Riki, Tarento, and Batafurai made the wrong choice: they were all ready for marriage. One disadvantage of being the youngest Little Senshi, I guess...But I do know this, I can't wait for the day that he asks me!  
Second, a dream is about to come true (yeah, good week for dreams, I know). Real World Grls are IN THE SHOW! That means WAY more practices, but we now we're more sure that we've got a shot at the top. Tonbo's really showing her leadership, setting all of these practices (SERIOUSLY, that girl needs a boyfriend...maybe I can hook her up with Dynamo...nah, that would fail 'cuz she'd get mad at me) and all. She's really surprised me. Only problem-I have no free time left. None. Zero. ZIP. Meaning I can't go on dates with Bass, CUZ THE BAND TOOK MY TIME AWAY. I'm not bitter about it...all of the time. I'm just frustrated. More than anything, I want to be with him, and I can't! But, the show's on Friday, and it's Tuesday night as I'm writing this. Each of us has invited our boyfriend to come to it, with Miya swearing she'd get X to drag Dynamo along. But we haven't told them WHY we're so set on them coming.  
Gonna read, later.  
Taiga  
  
Closing her notebook, Taiga put it away and took out the novel she had been reading. Fourty minutes later, the phone rang. After 3 rings, Taiga answered it. "Hey, Urawa residence."  
"Tai-chan?" Bass asked.  
"Bass, what's wrong?"  
"I miss you, Taiga. Why do you keep blowing me off?"  
^God...this isn't getting any easier...^ "Bass...I can't say..."  
"You can't say? What's going on with you lately? I'm worried. We haven't been able to hang out in weeks..."  
"I know...Bass...I..." Taiga sighed. "I can't talk about it now...but I am sorry, truly I am."  
"Okay. Goodbye."  
  
"Love you, byes."  
"Love you, too." He then hung up.  
Taiga put the phone down slowly. ^Why does it have to be this way??? I miss him so much!^ She rolled over, burrying her head in her pillow and crying softly. Little did she know that every one of her fellow Real World Grls—including Tonbo—was crying with her.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Max sat on a park bench, Bass on the top of the jungle gym, and X in a tree, all three thinking. Zero, who was also lost in thought, was riding his bike down the bike trail.  
^Man, why is Onbin-chan never around to do things with anymore? Did I do something wrong?^  
^Tai-chan, she's never around anymore. Did I do something to...^ Bass gulped, ^hurt her?  
^I miss Ome-chan. I'm attracted to her, but all she does is run away when I try to talk to her, claiming that 'something came up' and blowing me off! Did I tick her off?^  
^Why is Miya always gone? Have I harmed her in any way?^  
Max got up. "I can't take it anymore!"  
Bass jumped down, walking over to his friend. "Max, you alright?"  
"You THINK I'm alright?! I'm gonna go find my Onbin-chan!"  
X, also jumping down from his thinking spot, walked over to Max. "Maybe they're doing something for us."  
Zero, pulling up beside them, put down the kick stand on his bike. "Max, if they're doing something for us, don't you think we should give them their privacy?"  
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" he screamed, causing his friends to stare at him wide-eyed. Exhaling, he added, "Until I know what Onbin's doing, I'm gonna go INSANE! I'm gonna go find her, and if I ruin a surprise, then at least I know where she is!"  
"Max, wait!" Bass said.  
"Think about this!" Zero added.  
"YOU think about THIS!" he screamed, taking off running.  
"It would be nice to know that they're doing, but it would also be nice to give them their privacy until they want to tell us," X said.  
"Right!"  
"I'm with you, X!"  
X simply nodded.  
@----3—3--------------------  
"Okay girls, that's a wrap, let's get out of here!" Tonbo said.  
^FINALLY!^ Onbin thought, arms aching. Five minutes later, she was walking home. She noticed a guy running in her direction. ^That looks like Max...that IS Max...and he looks upset...that canNOT be a good thing...^  
Max ran up to her, panting. "Onbin-chan! Where...have you...been?"  
^GOD I hate that question!^ "I...can't say," she said, looking down.  
"Can't say?! Onbin, I've been worried about you. We never do things anymore."  
"...I know..."  
"Onbin, PLEASE tell me where you go every afternoon and on weekends. I miss you."  
"I..." She simply hugged him, fighting tears. "Max I'm sorry. I promised the other girls I wouldn't say, and I have to keep that promise. I love you, and I miss the time we spent together. But soon enough we'll have time again...just please don't be mad at me..."  
He hugged her back. "Onbin, I want us to be hanging out again. I go crazy every afternoon, wondering where you go. I call your house and you don't answer, and your okaa says you're gone. I cry myself to sleep because I can't talk to you."  
"I feel the same way...this is just something I HAVE to do...I promise, in two days, you'll understand. And then I'll be free to spend as much time with you as you want." ^God, please don't let him be mad at me, I can't bear that...I just learned to trust him a few months ago, and now I go and break the trust he had in me...^  
"Onbin..." He let her go. "...just go do what you have to do, but please hurry! My tear glands are almost dried out!"  
She nodded. "Two days, I swear it..." Kissing him, she added, "I am sorry, Max, that I made such a stupid promise...but I can't turn back on it now."  
"I understand. Bye, Onbin," he said, walking off.  
Onbin watched him go, then ran the rest of the way home.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Miya was sitting on her bed later that night, practicing her guitar part for hers and Tonbo's special song, when she heard a noise at her window. Setting the guitar down, she moved to the window seat. A ladder was raised to her window with a clang.  
Within seconds, her older brother was in her doorway. "Miya...why is there a ladder at your window?"  
"...Dunno, Shuzi..."  
"If Otou was home he probably wouldn't like this..." he said, slowly turning and walking back to his room.  
Moments later, X appeared on the ladder, knocking on her window.  
^And of course my boyfriend appears at my window when my room is a wreck and I'm in my pajamas...^ She let him in. "Hurry...if my Otou calls we're all screwed!"  
"I can't stay long anyway, Miya. I just need to ask you something," he replied, sitting on the window seat next to her.  
Hugging him, she asked, "What?"  
"Honey, where have you been lately? I can't get ahold of you to save my life!"  
"I can't say...I made the others promise not to say, and if I go back on it, they'll never forgive me...and I've missed you, too. A LOT."  
X looked up abruptly at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. "I'd better get out of here pretty quick. I'll see you later." Kissing her, he went out of the window, onto the ladder. "I'll call you!" He then kicked off against the house...  
Sending himself and the ladder for a crash course with the not-so- soft ground. "CRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!" he screamed, landing hard on his back.  
Shuzika, who had been heading downstairs for a snack, came flying back into Miya's room. "NANI?!?!"  
"X!!!!" Miya screamed in fear. She and Shuzika flew down the stairs, grabbed their coats, and rushed over to X.  
"You are SO lucky Okaa and Otou ain't home..." he muttered along the way.  
"Good thing I'm a reploid, huh?" X said, the fall not even fazing him.  
"You bet it is..." Miya replied, kneeling down next to him. "And by the way, if you see Dynamo, tell him Tonbo needs to talk to him," she added with a wink.  
"Dynamo should be home, I can call him on my cell if ya get the ladder off me. I actually made an imprint!"  
"Well...Otou always said a little lake in the yard would be a nice touch...wonder if he had one in the shape of X in mind..." Shuzika muttered as he and Miya pulled the ladder off of X.  
"You SURE you're okay?" Miya asked him, sounding worried.  
"Yeah, I'm okay. I didn't feel most of the fall." Miya smiled and hugged him, and X hugged her back.  
"This is getting TOO lovey-dovey for a dude like me who's girlfriend is on a distant planet. I'm headin' in, don't stall too long Miya," Shuzika said, wandering inside their house.  
"Miya, I have to go now. Don't stay too buys now, I still want to hand out with you. Love ya and see ya!" Picking up his ladder, he walked home.  
Miya smiled. ^Two days, X...just two days...then you and the other guys'll understand it all...^  
@----3—3--------------------  
The big day arrived. Each one of the Real World Grls was a basket case of nerves, but no one moreso than Taiga. After setting up her keyboard and mic, she looked around at her fellow band members. Onbin, dressed in blue jeans, grey t-shirt, and sneakers, was making sure she could reach everything on the drumset easily. Tonbo, in black pants, a green t-shirt reading, "Really, I can live without your opinion!" and sneakers, was helping Miya (in a dark blue sleeveless shirt, black pants, and brown shoes) get her hair pulled back in a half-up braid. Otome, wearing a red baby tee, black knee-length skirt, and black boots, was tuning her guitar. Taiga was wearing a blue baby tee, her favorite blue jeans, and sneakers. None of them were dressing up for this: Miya and Otome just wore skirts because they felt like being different from the other girls. Each one of them was wearing the necklace they had received from Devin from Christmas: their planetary symbol done in stones matching their main Senshi color.  
"Taiga-chan...how much are we going to have to fight Onbin to put on a LITTLE make-up today?" Otome asked, walking over to her.  
"Depends. If you have duct tape: not much. If you don't, we'll be here a while. Why?"  
"Because you know as well as I do what the school's stage lights to do one on stage..."  
"Right...Put Tonbo and Miya on that one, I don't want to even see that mess..."  
"...Tonbo wears make-up?"  
"When Miya forces her."  
"I can't tell she's wearing any."  
"Miya works wonders."  
Half an hour later, the girls (and a slightly made-up Onbin) wandered back to the stage, awaiting their turn to go on. They ended up plowing straight into the populars.  
"Let us THROUGH, Ninki!" Tonbo growled.  
"Not on your life, Tsukino!" she sneered  
"Girl, you better move before we're forced to move you in a STRETCHER!" Miya shot back, moving up by her friend.  
"What" Tsuuzoku asked, playing dumb. "OH, you want to play in our little show!"  
"Well, have fun TRYING!" Okuu added.  
"Cause with THOSE trash heaps you call musical instruments, you won't be playing a thing!" Ninki finished.  
Taiga's jaw dropped, reality slapping her hard. "...oh no..." She flew past the three roadblocks, the other girls on her heels.  
What they found nearly tore their hearts out. Their instruments were totally destroyed. Not a drumstick was left unsnapped nor a guitar sting attached. "NO WAY!" Onbin screamed in disbelief, shocked at how thoroughly they had trashed her drum set.  
Taiga sunk to her knees. ^All of that work...that time...for this???^  
"I've had ENOUGH of you 3! Wrecking my girlfriend's band like this!" was heard from behind her. She turned to see Bass standing behind the populars, looking madder than she had ever seen him.  
Dynamo took a stand behind him. "YEAH!" The other guys walked up.  
"You can't do anything fairly, can you?" X asked.  
"You three are major jerks!" Max added.  
"Bass..." Taiga muttered. ^The secret's out...just not how I wanted it to be...^  
"Dynamo?!" was heard from Tonbo. Crossing her arms, she added, "I could have taken them..."  
"Why play fair, we run this show!" Tsuuzoku shot at him.  
Zero stepped up to Otome. "Girls, we have our equipment with us, you can use it. I even set up Max's sound mixer to the main speakers here."  
Bass nodded. "So now it'll be a FAIR fight, cause if you wreck our equipment..."  
"You'll answer to me! I bought them all that!" was heard. Kojiro walked up, glaring daggers at the populars.  
"BATO-SAI?!?!?!" the three populars screamed.  
"We thought you were DEAD!" Ninki added.  
Riki's laughter was heard as she joined Kojiro. "Iie, he's my HUSBAND!"  
"Keep dreaming, Lawn head! You'd never get someone like BATO-SAI!"  
"Dumb move..." Onbin muttered.  
Max stepped up. "Shut it! The Real World Grls have a show to do!"  
"Unless you want to answer to me!" Kojiro added, using his old criminal tone.  
"Oh, SURE!" Tsuuzoku said.  
"We can't WAIT to see them fall flat on their faces!" Ninki added. They walked off, laughing all the way.  
Taiga sighed and muttered, "I'll regret this one later..." Outloud, she added, "Okay girls we have a show to do! Onbin, drums, Tonbo, bass, Miya, lead, I'll take keyboard let's move it here!"  
"...and what will I do??" Otome asked.  
"...sound mixer...???" Taiga asked sheepishly.  
Onbin sighed. ^Here I go again...^ "ENOUGH! Tonbo and Otome lead guitars, Otome backup vocals, Miya bass, I'll take drums as usual, Taiga SING GIRL!"  
"Riki, do you remember the hours I spent showing you what to do on the sound mixer?" Kojiro asked.  
She nodded. "Pretty much."  
"Now's the time to put it to use." He kissed her, then added, "Good luck."  
Taiga looked up as she heard Mrs. Rishi step up to the mic.  
"Thank you Ryan for that wonderful seranade. Now every, please welcome our next act, Real World Grls, consisting of Urawa Taiga, Gifuto Onbin, Shinrino Otome, Meioh Miyabita, and Tsukino Tonbo!"  
The girls rushed onto stage, each taking their respective intrument and Taiga taking the center mic off of its stand. She said, "Okay, we'd like to dedicate our song, Real, to the ones that helped us through our lives, and even to those who tried to put us down. I hope this clears a few things up. And we'd like to thank Forgetten Rockers for lending us their instruments when we found them destroyed backstage." She nodded to Onbin, who tapped her sticks together 4 times, signalling Otome and Tonbo to start playing.  
  
*I...I am what I am I'm super fortified hundred proof girl with a band *~and I'm a velveteen rabbit made of steel with a plan I'm not your Seventeen Girl but it's not worth a can *of worms, I'm not your beauty queen I'm not the girl in Glamour Magazine I'm not running for Miss Popularity cause I won't be what I can't be  
  
% but I want to be real I want to find out who I am and I will find my way to heal and I will find my voice my stand  
  
(music solo)  
  
*~I am who I am I am woman hear me roar and I am salt, I am sand a billion starfish stranded, landed, I'll throw back what I can I'll save the planet, change the world, I'll make a one girl stand *I've got better things to do than be shown off I won't be the doll you'll lock up in a box don't expect me to be anything I'm not cause I won't be what I can't be  
  
% but I want to be real I want to find out who I am and I will find my way to heal and I will find my voice my stand  
  
(music solo)  
  
*approval is your sword popularity your crown but I'm not one of your subjects, you can't bring me down you say I lose your approval if I'm not cool like you well here's a newsflash for you : *~I've got nothing to loose! your laughter is hollow because I don't care you look down at me, but I'm not there I've got nothing to prove and nothing to lose nothing to prove and nothing to lose  
  
(music solo)  
  
% but I want to be real I want to find out who I am and I will find my way to heal and I will find my voice my stand  
  
%and I want to be real I want to find out who I am and I will find my way to heal and I will find my voice my stand!  
  
Tonbo does a guitar solo, then follows Otome, Onbin, and Miya as they join Taiga around the keyboard.  
  
*And if I never find a place that I can call my own I will have tried (_&^~she would have tried) *I will've been free (_&^~she would be free) *I'll be alive (_&^~she'll be alive) *as long as I'm still %trying to be me As long as I'm still trying to be me  
  
All 5 of the girls looked out at the crowd at the end, completely out of breath. The entire crowd was on their feet, clapping and cheering. Ninki, Okkuu, and Tsuuzoku were storming out the side door, completely ticked at Taiga's bravery. Max, Zero, X, Bass, and even Dynamo looked ready to climb onto the stage to show the girls how proud of them they were. Taiga smiled, Tonbo and Miya bootie bumped and cheered in excitement, and Otome and Onbin hugged Taiga.  
Backstage, the guys met up with the girls.  
"Tai-chan, you were GREAT!" Bass said, hugging her.  
Hugging him back, Taiga said, "They...they LOVED my song! My song! The one I wrote!"  
"You did good, Riki," Kojiro said, kissing her.  
"Thanks...I had a GREAT teacher," Riki replied, winking.  
  
"Whoa, that was great, Miya-chan!"  
"Ome-chan, I'm...blown away!"  
"Onbin, you were awesome!" Max then hugged her.  
Dynamo walked up to Tonbo, arms crossed. "You...were great, Tonbo."  
Tonbo turned to him, looking like she was shocked senseless. "Uh...thanks, Dynamo. ...that means a lot to me..."  
"Glad I said something...meaningful. See ya!" He then walked away and Tonbo turned to the group.  
Otome shrugged. "When you practice as much as we did, that happens."  
Miya nodded. "But we owe it to Taiga, really."  
"Oh no you guys don't..."  
Onbin, hugging Max, added, "For crying out loud, she wrote the song!"  
"Wait a sec minna it wasn't that..."  
Tonbo sighed. "Don't start with your I-didn't-do-a-thing routine, Taiga. You got us here, you're gonna take it like a woman!"  
Taiga simply shrugged her shoulders. "Must be in my blood, it's how I am!" She then turned back to Bass, smiling. "Were we really THAT great?"  
"Yes, of course!"  
Miya took this moment to turn around and look at Tonbo. Her face was as red as the streaks in her hair. ^Okay...something happened...^  
From amid the sounds of their conversations a cell phone rang out. Kojiro answered it. "Hello? ...Hey, Spence!" Spence was Generator and Forgotten Rockers's agent. Immediately every guy in the room shut up, their girlfriends doing the same. "...Hang on." Holding the cell phone out to Taiga, he added, "For you."  
"Wha?" She then took the phone. "Hello?? ...That's me. ...You do?"  
The other members of Real World Grls looked nervous, wishing they could hear the conversation.  
"...WOW! Um...welll..." Taiga covered the phone. "Girls, we've just been offered a spot as an opening on the world-wide tour Forgotten Rockers and Generator are going on!"  
"WE ACCEPT!" the other four screamed.  
"We'd love to! And thank you, SO much, sir!" After listening for a bit, she hung up and handed the phone to Kojiro. "He...liked what he heard..."  
"He better have!" Tonbo screamed.  
Turning to X, Miya said, "X...the reason we wouldn't tell you guys what we were up to is the 3 people that put together this show HATE us. They wouldn't have let us in because of that..."  
"So we practiced in secrect in Tonbo's soundproof basement..." Otome said.  
"And only told Mai and Mrs Rishi...the announcer and suprovising teacher..." Taiga added.  
"And got in the show," Onbin finished.  
"So THAT was what Mai was so happy about..." Kojiro said.  
Not missing a beat, Onbin replied, "She taught me drums in a months. That girl SERIOUSLY scares and amuzes me..."  
"Try having her as a sister-in-law..." Riki said, shuddering for added effect.  
"It's not that they didn't trust you guys, trust me they do, It's just that we were cautious. We ddin't want someone to overhear and ruin our chances to win."  
"So Miya had us make a RIDICULOUS promise..." Onbin said, glaring at Miya.  
"We wouldn't have told anyone," Bass said.  
"Yeah," Zero agreed, "We don't' even go to school here!"  
"And yet I have Miya's schedule memorized..." X said, shaking his head.  
"I know you wouldn't have, Bass..." Taiga said, hugging him.  
Mrs. Rishi walked up to Taiga, tapping her on the shoulder. When Taiga turned around, she said, "The winners will be announced in 5 minutes." She then rushed off, helping a kid out of his cobra costume.  
Miya sighed. "Look, it was MY stupid idea. If you have to be mad at anyone, be mad at me...my ENTIRE schedule?!?!?!" X replied by relating her ENTIRE schedule to her, from when she got up to when she went to bed, even with variations for weekends and days off of school. When he finished, every person standing there was shocked senseless.  
Miya was left standing there, wide eyed in disbelief. "And I'm lucky if I remember HALF of that..."  
Onbin rolled her eyes, then asked, "So...are you guys, like, mad at us for this?"  
"I dunno about the rest, but I DID want to surprise you, Bass..." Taiga said, looking up at Bass.  
"I'm not mad," he replied.  
"Neither am I," Max added. "A little shocked my girlfriend hid something from me, but not mad."  
"No anger here!" Zero said.  
"I'm not mad, either. I'm just surprised my memory actually works sometimes!"  
Otome smiled. "Our schedules are WIDE open from now to until summer."  
"Cause believe me, we owe you four BIG TIME for this one..." Miya added. Tonbo didn't say anything at all, merely standing back, looking sad. She did notice, however, that Max had an odd-looking bag with him.  
"SSH!" Kojiro shot at them, silenceing the group. "They're announcing the winners!"  
Miya and Tonbo stood close together, looking nervous. Onbin appeared to be near the explosion point, and Taiga looked doubtful at her abilities. Otome was being held close by Zero, also looking a bit scared at what the announcement would bring. The three populars wandered in behind them, unbeknownst to the anxious bandmembers.  
"Listen all you want, losers, but ya ain't gonna win!" Okkuu sneered.  
Her comment set the Princess of Saturn off her rocker. Tonbo reared around, merely inches from beating the tar out of the petite blonde. "YOU again? Did we or did we NOT just tell you to SHOVE OFF! I think we did!"  
Ninki stepped up, as she was much larger than her teammate, glaring down at Taiga. "NO ONE humiliates US in front of the school and gets away with it, Urawa. ESPECIALLY little twits like yourselves!"  
Bass stepped in between them. "They're getting away with it."  
Zero joined in. "You can't stop them."  
"You can boo them, chew them up, and spit them out, but they'll keep going!" Max added.  
"If we find out you say anymore about our girlfriends..." Dynamo added, walking in and standing in front of Tonbo.  
"Say WHA?!?!?!?!" was heard from the black-haired guitarist.  
"We will seriously make sure you guys regret it SOON after!" X finished.  
"You keep telling yourselves that, cuz..." Tssuuzoku started to say.  
"And the winner is...REAL WORLD GRLS!"  
Everyone of the fueding group was dead silent. The three populars' jaws dropped as reality sunk in. Miya,Tonbo, and Otome started cheering and jumping up and down. Onbin laughed at her bandmates' antics, while Taiga stood dumbfounded.  
"We...WON??? WE ACTUALLY WON?!?!?" she screamed. Their boyfriends cheered from behind them, Riki and Kojiro clapping from farther back.  
"Come up on stage and get your prize, girls!" Mrs. Rishi said, motioning for them to join her on stage.  
The girls rushed up, looking excited (and Taiga, confused). Mrs. Rishi handed Taiga the trophy, who stood their like a statue.  
"Girls, I think I speak for the entire crowd here by asking you to play ONE more song for us. I know you have anoth..." The crowd's roar of applause drowned her out.  
Tonbo, Miya, and the girls looked at each other, huddling close.  
"Shou..." Otome asked.  
"HAI!"  
"Okay okay sorry! Tonbo or Taiga, pick our song, we'll follow."  
Taiga looked to Tonbo. "We did mine, time for us to do yours and Miya's."  
"Seriously? Well, okay then..."  
Miya was handed the mic. "We'll do another number."  
Taiga, Onbin, and Tonbo took their usual instruments while Miya traded her bass guitar with Otome's guitar. Miya said into her mic, "Tonbo and I wrote this song to express our feelings. You see, all five of us were Little Senshi during the times of war. Tonbo was Little Saturn, Otome Little Venus, Taiga Little Mercury, Onbin Little Neptune and myself Little Pluto." Gasps were heard from the crowd. "During that time, we've all been called heroes just because we had super powers. Tonbo and I found that disgusting. A hero doesn't have to have powers like we did, and usually they don't. A hero is merely someone that strives to do right."  
Tonbo added, "Each person described in this song is a person in our lives, or someone that a special person in another's life knew. Our friends and family will catch on to who we're describing in this song, called Hero." Miya and Tonbo lead in with a guitar duet.  
  
^no one sits with him, he doesn't fit in but we feel like we do when we make fun of him 'cause you want to belong, do you go along? 'cause his pain is the price paid for you to belong ^_it's not like you hate him or want him to die but maybe he goes home and thinks sucide? or he comes back to school with a gun at his side? and a kindness from you might have saved his life. ^heroes are made when you make a choice  
  
%you could be a hero - heroes do what's right you could be a hero - you might save a life you could be a hero - you could join the fight for what's right, for what's right, for what's right  
  
(music solo)  
  
_no one talks to her, she feels so alone, she's in too much pain to survive on her own. the hurt she can't handle overflows to a knife, she writes on her arm wants to give up her life. _^each day she goes on is a day that she's brave, fighting the lie that giving up is the way. each moment of courage her own life she saves, when she throws the pills out, a hero is made. _heroes are made when you make a choice  
  
%you could be a hero - heroes do what's right you could be a hero - you might save a life you could be a hero - you could join the fight for what's right, for what's right, for what's right  
  
(longer music solo)  
  
^no one talks to him about how he lives, he thinks that the choices he makes are just his. _doesn't know he's the leader with the way he behaves, and others will follow the choices he's made. ^_he lives on the edge, he's old enough to decide, his brother who wants to be him is just nine. he can do what he wants because it's his right, the choices he makes change a nine-year-old's life.  
  
(music solo as long as first)  
  
*~&(for what's right, for what's right, for what's right)  
  
^_you could be a hero - heroes do what's right you could be a hero - you might save a life you could be a hero - you could join the fight %for what's right, for what's right, for what's right  
  
%you could be a hero - ^_heroes do what's right %you could be a hero - ^_you might save a life %you could be a hero -^_you could join the fight ^_for what's right, for what's right, for what's right  
  
They bowed to the claps and cheers once again, then went backstage. Each girl packed up their stuff, then left, their VERY proud boyfriends right behind.  
@----3—3--------------------  
Onbin opened her locker, pulling out her textbook for her next class. Suddenly it slammed shut, her hand mere centemeters from getting smashed in it. "HEY!!!" She yelled, finding herself face-to-face with the Obnoxious Trio.  
"Gifuto, if you and your group go on that tour you stole, we will make your life a living torture chamber..." Ninki growled.  
"Be sure of that," Tsuuzoku added.  
"Attention, students," the PA system cackled to life. "Will Oshi Ninki, Mika Okkuu, and Baiyou Tsuuzoku please report to the principal's office. He has a few words to say to you about some destroyed instruments. That is all.  
"This is FAR from over..." Okkuu shot at her, she and her team walking off.  
When they were out of earshot, Onbin burst out laughing. ^I dunno what Max did to pull off THIS one, but I'm sure glad he did!^  
Half an hour later, Onbin had finished her lunch (very small one compaired to Batafurai's or Annai's) and was sitting at a table, reading. Max walked up, sitting down next to her. She turned to him, smiling. I don't know what you did, what whatever it was is definitely something we owe you for. But...why was Ninki getting screamed at for being from Neptune and NOT knowing who her princess was?"  
"I just told them in front of the principal that you guys were princesses, he filled in the rest."  
She looked nervous for a minute, then shrugged it off. "The truth had to come out sometime, just glad I wasn't the one to tell i...wait a sec Ninki's one of my subjects??" She shuddered, looking appalled. After a few minutes, she added, "Um...don't you have to leave soon?"  
"Nope. I'm only 17. I was a senior in my galaxy and enrolled here early this morning to finish the rest of my schooling."  
"Really??" she asked as Batafurai and Tarento walked up, carrying trays.  
"Then you're in the same grade as Shuzika again!" Batafurai exclaimed, sitting across from Onbin.  
"School's pretty good if you ignore the food and the uniforms..." Tarento added, sitting next to his wife.  
Onbin cocked an eyebrow at Tarento. "You've been eating Batafurai's cooking for months now..."  
"HEY!"  
"...and are STILL complaining about SCHOOL food?"  
He paused, fork in midair. "HAI! You know for a fact Batafurai's an awesome cook!"  
Batafurai beamed. "Yep, I have the gift of culinary...stuff..."  
Onbin sighed, hiding her face in her hands and replying, "Take his word, Max-kun, and avoid school lunches if at all possible...You ARE serious about being here, ne?"  
"I pack my own lunch, Onbin-chan, and hai, I really will be here."  
She smiled again. "That's great!"  
"...I missed something and I know it..." Shuzika said, sitting next to Max and carrying his lunchbag and his sketchbook.  
"Don't you always?" Riki asked, walking past the group. Shuzika glared in her direction, sweatdropping.  
"Shuzika, prepare to be in school with me again."  
"Sweet! Gonna be odd, lacking everyone from our group but ourselves, but sort of like old times!"  
Max heard Tarento start to laugh softly. Glaring, he asked, "Did Batafurai just say something smart about me mentally as to not invoke my wrath as Knighttron?"  
"Not...quite..." he answered nervously. Judging by his facial expression, Batafurai had screamed mentally at him.  
"...THE JELLO THING WAS NOT MY IDEA MAN! ...Did I just say that outloud?" Shuzika asked. Onbin blinked a few times, sweatdropping.  
Max mushroom breathed. "He's referring to the famous 'Jello Incident' back then."  
"NOT my idea, that was totally yours and Koukin's. Keleika and I just got trapped in the middle of that sad, twisted tale." He then started sketching in his sketchbook a robotic youma, much like one he had battled before.  
"What flavor WAS it, anyway?" Max asked.  
"Green."  
"That's not a fla..." Batafurai started to say.  
"It was GREEN."  
"Okay okay you win sheesh..."  
Onbin's eyes lit up. "They don't mean the..."  
"Yeah they do," Tarento laughed.  
"Oh my God!" Onbin laughed. She then turned to see Max and Shuzika whispering about something.  
"On-chan...should we be scared?"  
"I'm not sure, Bata-chan..." Onbin replied, watching her boyfriend.  
"Just wait, ladies, just wait..."  
"That is NEVER good when he says that..."  
"Hm..." was heard from Tarento. "I sense the prankmasters are at it again..."  
"Hai...only this time...I have no idea what they're up to!" Batafurai added.  
"Now, I like art as much as you, Shuzika," Onbin said, "but do you have to sketch EVERY BLESSED MINUTE YOU SIT DOWN?!"  
"Hai."  
"Okay just figured I'd ask.  
Max laughed. "I tried asking him that once, he hit me upside the head with said sketchbook."  
"Ya mean he did that when you knew him before, too?"  
Batafurai immediately slid closer to Tarento, as if she wanted his protection. Tarento put his arm around her, commanding, "Hit her and die, Shuzika."  
"Relax, Tarento-kun, I am not one to beat our princess senseless."  
The conversation stayed along those lines for the rest of the lunch period. As soon as Max put his arm around Onbin, the bell rang. "Dang it..." he muttered at the clock.  
"I'll meet you outside at the end of the day if you want..." Onbin said shyly.  
He replied by kissing her. "Later." He and Shuzika then walked off to their class, Batafurai and Tarento going the other way.  
Taiga walked up to the smiling Onbin. "I guess everything worked out after all, ne?"  
"YEAH!" We got a spot as the opening act on that tour AANNDD Max enrolled here! Good day indeed, my friend!"  
"And we're all still friends, every blessed one of us Little Senshi."  
"We're a lot more than that, Taiga."  
"How's that?"  
"We're a team. A closeknit group of Sailor Senshi sworn to protect our home. We get to make sure our loved ones are always safe, and are able to fix the problem if they're not! Not many people get trusted with that kind of responsibility, girl! Makes us kinda special, don't ya think?"  
"Yeah...It kinda does I guess...I never looked at it that way..."  
Onbin laughed, putting a hand on the taller girl's shoulder. "Taiga- chan, you'll find the real you one day. Bass and the girls and the guys and I'll be here for ya every step of the way. Just remember...I'm gonna hafta laugh RREEAALL hard if ya fall cuz it'd be about time for Miss Brain to slip on the Banana Peal of Ignorance!" She then took off running.  
Taiga chased after her. "GIFUTO ONBIN GET BACK HERE AND TELL ME WHAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO ME! ONBIN! OONNBBIINN!!"  
  
~*~AN~*~  
YEYAH! FINISHED ANOTHER! You guys have NO idea how long I've been working on this fic; I think I started it in, oh, OCTOBER!  
My main point in this fic is TAKE A STAND. Kids like me, that spend their days being verbably abused relentlessly, know how hard it is to do just that. We're sure that if we do, the masses'll just beat us back down. And kids like me, that only get the harassment because of a parent's job, know that it'll never be solved, that it's just something that kids are irritated or jealous about.  
But I found out that if you tell a teacher, principal, SOMEONE, it'll get taken care of. Especially if it's been going on for a long period of time (like what I went through. It lasted TWO YEARS before I spoke up). Just be willing to stand up and get it settled, cause it probably can't get much worse.  
Anyways, I hope you guys all liked this fic, leave reviews at the door but remember my disclaimer on rants. ; )  
~*~Butterfly Girl 1331~*~ 


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